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Man battling ALS shares his story with WESH 2 News

It's a disease that takes away your ability to move, leaving patients isolated and dependent. WESH 2 News met one local man in the fight of his life, against ALS. He hopes you'll join him and other patients at Lake Eola Saturday morning to battle this vicious disease. Meredith McDonough reports.

It's a disease that takes away your ability to move, leaving patients isolated and dependent. WESH 2 News met one local man in the fight of his life, against ALS. He hopes you'll join him and other patients at Lake Eola Saturday morning to battle this vicious disease. Meredith McDonough reports.

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Updated: 6:19 PM EST Mar 11, 2016

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WEBVTT >> YOU ARE WATCHING WESH 2 . MEREDITH: IT'S A DISEASE THAT TAKES AWAY YOUR ABILITY TO MOVE, LEAVING PATIENTS ISOLATED AND DEPENDENT. WE MET ONE LOCAL MAN IN THE FIGHT OF HIS LIFE AGAINST ALS. HE MAY HAVE A HARD TIME TALKING, BUT HIS MESSAGE CAN STILL BE HEARD. HE HOPES YOU'LL JOIN HIM AND OTHER PATIENTS AT LAKE EOLA SATURDAY MORNING TO BATTLE THIS VICIOUS DISEASE. REPORTER: IT MAY BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CLAY BRITTON IS SAYING, BUT YOU CAN FEEL HIS PAIN. HE'S THANKFUL FOR THE SUPPORT AND CARE OF HIS FAMILY AS HE FACES HIS BIGGEST OPPONENT ALS. CLAY WAS THE PICTURE OF HEALTH CLIMBING MACHU PICCHU TRAINING FOR IRON MAN COMPETITIONS AND BUILDING HIS BACK PORCH, EVEN HIS BAR. BUT IN LATE 2012 CLAY NOTICED A CHANGE IN HIS HANDS, HE WASN'T ABLE TO CUT HIS NAILS AND DO EVERYDAY TASKS. HIS DOCTOR, ALICIA CABRERA SAYS HIS SYMPTOMS PROGRESSED SLOWLY,BUT THAT MOST PATIENTS WITH ALS WILL FIND WEAKNESS IN THEIR LIMBS, STIFFNESS OF THE MUSCLES, SLURRED SPEECH AND LOSS OF DEXTERITY. >> THE CELLS THAT ARE IN CHARGE TO GIVE YOU STRENGTH START DYING, WHEREVER THEY ARE. IN THE BRAIN OR IN THE SPINAL CORD. IT WILL CAUSE A PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION IN THE STRENGTH AND IN ALL THE MUSCLES OF THE BODY. MEREDITH: CLAY'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAVE HELPED HIM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, FROM GETTING DRESSED TO DRIVING TO WORK. BUT IT'S TOUGH TO WATCH THE NEIGHBOR YOU'VE ALWAYS COUNTED ON NEEDING YOU MORE THAN EVER >> BECAUSE HE WAS THAT GUY YOU ALWAYS DEPENDED ON. AND I HATE THAT I HAVE TO HELP THEM. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE ALS, THAT ROBS A PERSON AND ROBS THEIR LIFE, LIKE ALS. THERE IS NOTHING. MEREDITH: LIKE MOST PATIENTS WITH ALS, CLAY'S BODY MAY HAVE GIVEN UP ON HIM, BUT HIS MIND IS ON POINT. HE CONTINUES TO WORK AS A PRINTING MANAGER AND TAKES CARE OF HIS BELOVED DOGS. IT'S NOT EASY TO FEED THEM, BUT HE FINDS A WAY. >> THE DISEASE HAS CHANGED HIS BODY, BUT HE IS STILL CLAY INSIDE. MEREDITH: CLAY ALSO COMMUNICATES THROUGH TEXT MESSAGING, AND HIS BIG MESSAGE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS THIS WEEK IS TO WALK TO DEFEAT ALS. ACCORDING TO THE CDC THE DISEASE AFFECTS NEARLY 15,000 AMERICANS. YOU CAN HELP ALL OF THEM BY WALKING ON A TEAM AT LAKE EOLA SATURDAY MORNING. >> GETTING OUT THERE AND WALKING AND BEING ABLE TO START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DISEASE, IS HUGE. MEREDITH: CLAY DOES NOT WANT YOUR PITY, JUST A CURE. TAX -- >> PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE. MEREDITH: CLAY WAS RECENTLY ACCEPTED TO A CLINICAL TRIAL AND HOPES IT SLOWS THE PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE. YOU CAN JOIN THE WALK TO DEFEAT ALS

Man battling ALS shares his story with WESH 2 News

It's a disease that takes away your ability to move, leaving patients isolated and dependent. WESH 2 News met one local man in the fight of his life, against ALS. He hopes you'll join him and other patients at Lake Eola Saturday morning to battle this vicious disease. Meredith McDonough reports.